Matthew
Evans has been a mystery to researchers for years because he
seems to have come out of nowhere yet he had enough land that
had to be divided up between his 8 children in 1844 Warren
County, North Carolina. He was a Free Person of Color who first
appeared in the 1808 Warren County Tax List in Capt. Hazelwood's
District showing 1 Poll. He next appeared in the 1810 Warren
County Census, the 1811 and 1814 Warren County Tax Lists in
Fishing Creek District, and again in the same District in the
1830 Census. He died about 1844 apparently without leaving a
will and his estate of 56 acres of land was divided between his
8 heirs:

(1) Fanney
Evans, married to Kinchen Toney

(2) Moses Mechan Evans, married to
Elizabeth Toney
(3) Isaac Evans, married to Winnie Dales
(4) Henry Evans, does not appear to have married
(5) Lucretia Evans, married to Allen Green
(6) Nancy Evans Carter, married to James Green
(7) Celia Evans, married to Matthew Toney
(8) Patience Evans, married to David Marshall

I now know
that Matthew Evans was a former slave named Nathaniel, a
shoemaker by trade, who had belonged to William West, a
landowner who had lived in the Warren/Halifax/Granville area for
a very long time. A petition filed in 1806 reveals that
Nathaniel had been married for a number of years to a free woman
of color, Mourning Evans, with whom he had 8 children and that
in 1804, she had purchased him from West, and she was seeking
his freedom to protect Nathaniel and their children, who were
born free in accordance to the laws of the land. While Matthew
Evans appeared in the 1810 and 1830 census he was was probably
the same person listed as Nathaniel West in the 1820 Warren
County census. Mourning may have been a daughter of James &
Elinor Evans, who had been living in the area since the
mid-1750's where record is found of them in Edgecombe County,
and later in Granville, Warren and Halifax Counties. By 1786,
Mourning was listed as Head of Household of 4 in Halifax
County, next to Elinor Evans (listed as Elender Evens) the widow
of James Evans. I do not know if this Mourning Evans was the
same person who was referred to as the wife of Powell Evans,
whom she was separated from, in the 1798 Deed of Gift from
Robert Caller in Warren County; Caller married that Mourning
Evans in August 1798, and in his will probated in 1805, she
received his entire estate. Curiously enough, the bill of sale
for the purchase of Nathaniel by Mourning Evans was filed in the
same term of Court that Caller's will was proved in February
1805. I would be interested in finding more proof as to whether
or not these were the same women.

For the
children of Matthew/Nathaniel and Mourning Evans, there were
variations in which surname they used throughout the years.
Mourning Evans was indicated to be the mother of Henry Evans,
born August 1783, in a 1794 Warren County Court record when he
was apprenticed to William Lancaster. There is a (4)Henry Evans,
Free Person of Color, in the 1830 Warren County, 2nd Regiment
Census, showing as 24 to 36 years of age; in the 1850 & 1860
Warren County census, Henry West, born about 1783, appears in
the Sandy Creek District, listed twice in 1850. Henry West died
intestate in 1862, and Benjamin Best was appointed to
administrate his estate. (3)Isaac Evans married Winifred Dales
on October 14, 1825 in Franklin County and he was on the
Insolvents list for 1829 in the Judkins District of Warren
County; he was in the 1830 census in Judkins Township, and in
1850 also in Warren County. By 1860, most of the family had
moved to Franklin County, but in 1870 they all started using the
West surname in the census. His family has proven to be the most
prevalent ones to have remained in the Warren/Halifax/Franklin
and Nash County area and many researchers may find that they are
related through them.

Isaac and
Winnie's children were: 1] William West, born 1826, married to
Mary Jane Carter (daughter of William Carter & Polly Evans) on
July 8, 1850 under the surname of Evans, with his brother,
Joseph John Evans, as bondsman; William and Mary settled in
Warren County. 2] Joseph John West, born 1827, who married Jane
Carter (daughter of William Carter & Polly Evans) in 1856 Warren
County where they raised their family. 3] Matthew West, b.
1830, married Harriet Odom (daughter of Burton & Rebecca Odom of
Edgecombe County) in 1868, although they had been living
together prior to that and had 7 children at that time; they
lived and raised their family in Warren County. 4] Priscilla
West, b. 1834, married John Evans (son of Archibald Evans &
Lucretia Green) in 1858 Warren County; John and Priscilla lived
first in Franklin then moved to Nash County. 5] Henry West,
born 1837, last identified in the 1860 Franklin County census
working as a carpenter. 6] Richard Crockett West, born 1840,
married to Margaret McGee (daughter of Henry McGee of Halifax
County) in about 1860; Richard and Margaret were living in
Halifax in 1860 where he was listed as a mattress maker, but
moved to Nash County by 1870, where most of their children were
born. 7] Winnie West, born 1841, married William Durham
(probably the son of Stephen & Prudence Durham of Warren County)
in 1867 Franklin County; she and William lived in Franklin
County until her death in 1926. 8] Betsey West, born 1843,
married James Westley Carter (son of Hawkins Carter & Elizabeth
Wiggins of Warren County) in 1865 Franklin County; she and
Westley moved their family around between Franklin, Halifax and
Warren Counties, where she died in 1928. 9] Haywood Doctor
West, born 1844, married in about 1874 to Emily Arrington
(daughter of Isham & Sallie Arrington); they lived mostly in
Franklin County, where they raised 12 children and Haywood died
in 1922. 10] Nancy West, born 1845, the last census I have
found her in was 1870 when she was living with her parents, I
would love to know if anyone has any further info on her. 11]
Moses West, born 1848, married Harriet Perry (daughter of Berry
Wester & Silvia Perry of Franklin County) in about 1894; they do
not appear to have had any children together, although Harriet
had children by a previous marriage to a member of the
Coppage/Coppedge family.

As for the
other children of Matthew/Nathaniel and Mourning Evans, I will
give a brief description of their families. (5)Lucretia Evans,
b. 1782 and Allen Green, b. 1775, (son of Thomas & Priscilla
Green )lived in Warren County; I have only been able to identify
4 of their children so far: Edward, Elizabeth, Martha and Peter
Green. Martha Green, b. 1824, is my ancestor who married James
Evans, b. 1815 (son of Archibald Evans & Lucretia Green).
(1)Fanney Evans, b. abt 1785, wife of Kinchen Toney, b. 1785/d.
1852 (son of John Toney & Martha Carpenter), I have been unable
to find her after the 1844 estate record; the only child I have
identified as theirs is Hilliard Toney, b. 1820 who lived in
Halifax County. (7)Celia Evans, b. abt 1786, wife of Matthew
Toney, b. 1786 (son of John Toney & Martha Carpenter), appears
to have died before 1850, and I have yet to positively identify
any children. (2)Moses Mechan Evans, b. 1790, d. 1860-1870
Halifax Co., family seems to have kept the Evans surname,
however, he and his wife, Elizabeth Toney, separated prior to
1850, and she raised their children John, Martha, William,
Moses, and Mary Jane Evans. (6)Nancy, b. 1795, listed as
Carter, in the 1847 marriage to James Green, b. 1778 (a former
slave of John C. Green of Warren County) although they had been
living together prior to that date and their known children were
Mary Polly, Robert, and James Green Jr. Mary Polly Green,
b.1825, married William A.Green, b. 1786 (son of Thomas &
Priscilla Green) and they are also my 3rd great-grandparents,
who lived in Warren County. (8)Patience Evans, b. 1797, and
her husband, David Marshall, b. 1770 Virginia, who she married
in 1823, moved to Dane County, Wisconsin by 1850, with
Patience's son, John W. West, b. 1814 Warren County, and his
wife, Elizabeth Green, b. 1813, (daughter of Allen Green &
Lucretia Evans). Patience and David died in Wisconsin between
1860-1870, while John & Elizabeth West moved on to Polk County,
Iowa, along with their two children, Margaret and John H. West.
John W. West died before 1900, but Elizabeth was still alive in
Iowa in 1900, where she was listed as 87 years old, living with
her unmarried son, John.

I would
certainly be interested if anyone has any further information on
some of these families, I believe that what I have found is just
touching the surface of a very complex family foundation.